Local Economic Development in Uganda and Rwanda

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Swedish International Center for Local Democracy (ICLD) support capacity building and governance in developing countries, both to improve decentralization and to strengthen local public investment. The Capstone team examined and mapped the Local Economic Development (LED) strategies in Rwanda and Uganda. The team identified key LED stakeholders and reviewed the trajectory of nascent LED approaches, in order to extract lessons learned and to document key challenges in LED implementation. The Capstone team conducted extensive background research on LED theory and practice and conducted field interviews with local municipal authorities, ministry officials, and civil society members in Rwanda and Uganda. This research is a continuation of a portfolio of case studies being done for the clients to better understand and map LED strategies across the developing world.